Episode 48: Science and Technology at the Cutting Edge of Exoplanet Research, with Olivier Guyon

Since he was young his driving passion has been a single mystery: are we alone in the universe? Astronomer Olivier Guyon, who has now been awarded a half a million dollars MacArthur genius grant to answer that question, joins Justin Trottier at The Star spot.

Guyon explains why he’s so optimistic he pegs habitable planets at well over 1 in 100 stars. Then the two discuss the cutting edge of discovery, from merely detecting planets to incoming data on oceans, atmospheres and in the not too distant future even biosigns.

Benjamin reports on the re-emergence of a debate about the plausibility of microbes in Martian meteorities. Plus, exactly how many world are there out there?…

About our Guest

Olivier Guyon is an astronomer who works at the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii and at the University of Arizona. Astronomy has been his life for a long time: an amateur astronomer at age 10, then a do it himself type building his own telescopes in the garage, and now at the cutting edge, working with theorists and engineers to design the most advanced equipment to detect extrasolar planets and possibly signs of habitation.